Sunday, January 3, 2010

The Coming American Military Overhaul


True Ttransformation: America’s Military Is Overdue For A Dramatic Overhaul -- Arms Forces Journal

The U.S. military, if it is to measure up to its future responsibilities as an effective instrument of statecraft and a trusted institution of society, must embark on the path of thoroughgoing transformation. This means truly sweeping overhaul, not the marginal incremental change that has characterized the self-justifying, self-deluding rhetoric of “defense transformation” to date.

The international environment the U.S. faces and is destined to continue facing in the years ahead requires a military significantly different from the one we now have. What we have, arguably and at best, is a militarily effective military: an instrument of force, designed and able only to wage war — usually disproportionately, often indiscriminately — on its own preferred terms on behalf of those in power.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have forgotten how an idealist sometimes thinks .... until I read this post.

While everyone is in agreement that the U.S. military is going to change .... in what form that change will be is still open to debate. Gregory Foster has a viewpoint that I have heard before, and while it is valid on many fronts, I do not think it will realistically happen.

What is going to propel the military of tomorrow will not be because of unique and/or not unique conflicts, certain strategic objectives, or a politicians favorite military project. The military of tomorrow is going to be shaped by the financial/budgetary crisis that we are going to have to address to in the coming year or two. A Government that runs trillion dollar deficits is not going to last long, and the financial squeeze that will occur will impact all programs .... the military included.

What type of impact? My prediction is think of big cuts .... and then double it.

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